When I moved to Cape Town, 2.5 years ago, I used to stop at the same Starbucks every morning on my way to the gym.
Not because it was the best coffee in Cape Town. It wasn’t.
Not because it was cheap. It definitely wasn’t.
I went because I knew exactly what would happen the moment I walked in. I knew what to expect. I went to Starbucks in many countries while being a digital nomad. It almost made it feel like home.
Same cups.
Same order.
Same taste.
Same 3-minute rhythm that made my chaotic morning feel a little more stable.
In a world where everything else felt unpredictable - my new home, my new bed, my new gym, my new groceries, the people, the weather, the traffic - Starbucks gave me one thing I could anchor to - certainty.
And certainty is like a baby's pacifier. It soothes your soul.
Consistency pays the biggest long-term returns.
Not always the flashiest. Not always the fastest. But the safest bet for a human brain trying to make sense of an unstable world.
That's why brands win. That's why AI doesn't, yet.
We buy branded thing (like coffee) for one simple thing - predictability of experience and someone to complain to when things don't go as expected.
Why aren't most people rushing to “AI” their entire lives?
Well, who do you blame when AI messes up?
Who guarantees it will work the same way tomorrow?
Who gives you the promise it'll work exactly the way you want?
Big potential returns are great! But we are rarely prepared to bet a lot on promised potential.
Imagine buying a plane ticket to Paris, and it's the cheapest but the airline tells you,
“You’ll land there… 80% of the time.”
Would you get on that flight?
Of course not!
We happily pay more for confidence, predictability, and peace of mind.
Here's what I'm thinking about lately:
Consistency keeps you grounded, keeps you stable, steadily growing often.
Exploration creates breakthroughs.
It’s true in branding, in fitness, in relationships, in business strategy, and in my own life.
Stick with what works and you’ll grow slowly but reliably.
Try “unbranded” options - a new workout, a new AI tool, a new approach to marketing, a new idea, and sometimes you’ll stumble into delight, innovation, even reinvention you never expected.
2 reminders to self:
-
Consistency is a product. Confidence is a product. Predictability is a product.
If you’ve built it - sell it. People crave it more than novelty in the age where things shift so much. -
But don’t let consistency turn into a cage.
A small but regular dose of exploration is where breakthroughs happen. That's I eventually stopped my Starbucks and discovered many great, local coffees.
Both matter. Both are needed.
You just have to know which game you’re playing today: consistency or newness.
Over to you, dear reader
Where in your life or work do you need to “sell” more confidence, and where do you need to “buy” more newness?
